


why say no?

by merenwen (ayebydan)



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 04:13:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11959467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayebydan/pseuds/merenwen
Summary: Nia finds out she's out of the loop for the Championship. Again. Sami Zayn finds her feeling down and a conversation leads to a friendship and a friendship to more. With anime shows along the way.





	why say no?

Nia is alone when her phone pings stating she has an email and she freezes for a split second at the noise. This is it. Creative have made their decision on the next number one contender and on Raw that basically means who gets to appear on TV. Raw has more time but Smackdown gets your face noticed if you're female. Moving to her bag Nia stares at the black screen declaring the day and date, time, her battery allowance and the fact that she has notifications. It takes her another minute to work up the courage to open the email. 

It takes ten seconds for her to throw her back against the lockers, suppress a scream, and repress her urge to throw her phone out the window. Sidelined. Again. Crinkling her nose she presses her eyelids together and bites her lip in determination. No one is going to see her cry. She can do that later when she is alone and it can't be added to the list of things that people use against her. A vague summery of her future had stared up at her from the _Gmail_ account and it is hard to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Tamina Snuka had started out strong too. Now she's a constant bodyguard to whoever does get picked to sit at the top of the mountain. Nia's new angle with Alexa doesn't bode well for her future even if the short blonde is a great person to work with. At least Tamina got to be part of the first women's _money in the bank ladder match_ , and have a hell of a performance in it, despite it becoming a farce due to interference. 

She wants to progress but she can't. It isn't that simple. It can't be. She turns a hitch in her throat to a cough and moves to get changed into her street clothes. As she is about to put her hand into the sleeve of her jumper her eye catches the label and she scowls. It crosses her mind sometimes that her size awes people and her power impresses yet ultimately could be holding her back. Progress is forcing its way into the WWE but she is not always sure that it is fast enough. It was great to see her cousin Dwayne at Raw that night when she was shadowing from NXT but to see him slut shame Lana made her feel sick. Watching old videos now makes her feel uncomfortable and reading the dirt sheets causes similar feelings. They too question her career path now she's proven herself a capable performer. So wrapped up in her thoughts she storms into the hallway and straight into someone. Her bag goes flying and she stumbles before strong hands grab at her forearms and steady her. 

"Whoa! Nia. You ok?"

"Sami?" 

"Yeah. Seriously, are you ok? You don't look so good."

Pulling her arms free, a little harsher then she intended as Sami takes a step back and puts his hands up to give her space, Nia sighs and tries to smile. "Just got my plans for the next few weeks. Bit down on it."

"Ah yeah. Been there. Still...kind of there...anyway this you headed?"

It is that moment that Nia realises she drove over with Lexi and Lexi isn't finished yet. Deflating she shakes head head. "Guess not. Forgot my ride isn't finished yet. Shame. Could murder a tall glass of wine right about now."

Sami smiles and gestures between them, jerking his shoulder in a way that makes Nia bite back a smile. "I'm heading back to the hotel. Riding myself cause I slept in this morning after watching too many Bob's Burger episodes last night. I don't mind taking you."

"Bob's Burgers?!"

Sami's cheeks flush a deep red making Nia laugh but she punches him gently in the shoulder to try and reassure him. "Dude that is _amazing_. Which channel was it on? Or were you streaming? I'm so bad at forgetting to look things up on the road. I get in the habit of just downloading shit to take with me on days off."

Sami falls into step beside her and his flush recedes, his smile widening. "Nah it was on Fox, last night. All this week they have it on so I guess you can always catch some eps tonight before we all head out in the morning."

"Gutted I missed it. Though if I end up sleeping in like you then maybe it isn't such a good idea huh?"

" Well we can make sure we get each other up." Sami states happily before his eyes widen and he moves to speak again.

"Waking me is like waking the damn dead." Nia quips. It puzzles her to see Sami so flustered around her. It isn't like she can't get a man but it tends to be when she's glammed up. Sami's seen her at the performance centre struggling to breathe after drills. He's seen her in the early ill-fitting ring clothes. Hell, Sami trained her in some things along side Tyler. At no point did she feel attractive around Sami then. Yet she has the feeling that maybe...maybe he might think she is?

He should. She is. So she's fat. So are a lot of people. She's damn hot and more people should recognise it. It is just...Sami was not someone she thought would. Maybe she is getting ahead of herself though. Sami leading her to his rental and getting their bags in gives her the time to think. 

_Play it cool_.

"So, uh, bad news you got. You wanna talk about it?"   
"Honestly? Nothing to talk about. I hoped I might get into the title picture but I didn't. Not sure where I will be going now. I'll get over it." 

"Ok. So ...you said you were going to grab a glass of wine. Could I trouble you to join you?" Sami asks quietly once they are inside the car and buckled in. Nia smiles and punches him lightly in the leg when she's sure it won't make him crash or something. 

"Only if you tell me where the reruns are on Burgers so I can fit in tonight."

"Oh happily!"

*

They agree to head to their rooms and change before meeting in the bar but both know it is the usual work thing. At least this time. They both appear in sweats and t-shirts but Nia is a little behind Sami and finds him in a corner on his phone. He has a cola in front of himself and a large white wine sitting near him, clearly for her. Huh. He must have noticed her preference the times they were in social gatherings before. She pauses for a split second and then makes her way over. 

"I love a man who listens."

"Well, I , uh, try and...stuff." Sami states with more waving of his hands. 

Nia laughs as she flops into seat opposite him and dumps her phone on the table. "Searched the TV. No Bobs!"

"It doesn't start till midnight so you're an hour short. See now how I got late?"

Snatching her glass off the table and taking a sip Nia laughs. "Thought you were a veteran. Knew better?"

Sami laughs and seems to slump in his chair until he's more comfortable. "Veteran maybe but better? Not sure. I just wandered and somehow stopped myself from being fired." 

"You still know more than me." Nia states, not meaning for her voice to crack on the end as she settles herself down. Sami picks up on it immediately and knocks her ankle gently with his foot. 

"I did a lot of re-learning stuff. Don't forget that."

"Still.

"Still what? I know more than you. You know more than others. And you," Another foot tap. "You're closer to gold than I am. Doing ok yeah?"

Nia's stomach is somewhere near her right ankle. 

"Sami, I am so sorry. I didn't even think. I...I.... "

"It is nothing. You gotta stop beating yourself up though. You're gonna do fine.."

She tries to smile but she doesn't feel fine. How can she feel fine when the man comforting her over a lack of opportunities has had less than she has? 

"I should...not complain." The words stumble out her mouth because she is used to making herself heard, being assertive, and generally using a fake bravado to get herself to places but Sami sees through it and laughs. 

"Yeah ya should. So should I. And Tamina. And like, half the crew brought up from NXT. Getting better than some doesn't mean you have good enough. Remember back...back, well, Kevin and I were a thing when others thought they should have been. We all get our spots in time."

He slumps and focuses on his drink, using the straw to push the remainder of his ice around the glass. Nia feels terrible. Why did she say anything? 

This time it is her that knocks the ankle. He jerks and stares at her with wide eyes and she isn't sure what to say. Her glance falls to her empty glass and then his and the conversations before and the looks and she just sort of goes for it. "It is kind of loud here. I was thinking of taking a bottle up to my room but not if I have too many here. Want to go like...stream something?"

By the end it is meek and she feels desperate for being this way but Sami merely tilts his head and nods. " Cheaper to get them by the can and take them up than the glass bottles. I think I'll grab some snacks too. No way I'm paying mini bar prices."

Nia laughs and nods as they get to their feet. She scurries towards the bar before Sami gets free, determined to foot the bill but by the time it is in front of them she's been distracted and Sami has charged it to his room. "With this amount of crap you could end up with a cleaning fee to be fair."

"Doubt it." 

*  
"Streaming it is. TV is shit tonight. Here, you do it. I'd probably get my laptop infected." Nia murmurs flatly while shoving said laptop towards Sami who is perched on the side of her bed. 

"What am I looking for?"

Nia flops down on the bed on the other side and sets about pouring herself a glass of wine. "Not sure. Something silly. Re-runs so I don't need to much focus."

"Cool." She hears tapping on keys and huffs before getting back to her feed and rummaging for her speakers. It may be a pain to carry them around but when you're on the road so much getting a good sound out whatever you're watching on netflix can make all the difference. "Nia? That is a pretty awesome Pokemon hoody you have there."

She laughs and shoves the offending item to the side with her foot as she pulls her speakers free. "Yeah I'm a big nerd for that. I've been meaning to do a re-watch for ages but it is gonna cost a bomb to get all the dvds."

Sami laughs softly and shakes his head, muttering something that Nia can't hear. "There is a site that streams episodes. Like, that is all that it streams. I can find and fave it for you so you have it. It is totally safe. I use it all the time."

"You watch pokemon?" Nia chirps, trying to bite back her excitement. 

"You kidding me? It is the best! Though I still think the French theme is better. Harder to get links for that though."

"Oh my god can we watch?!" 

"Sure. I mean. I guess. Hang on." Sami mutters before turning back to her laptop. Nia excitedly makes herself comfy on the bed and tries to follow what he's doing. 

"Sorry. Have I just made myself super weird?"

"Super awesome more like." Sami states without missing a beat. Nia blushes and grabs for her wine. When Sami makes positive sounds and places the laptop in the middle of the bed she shuffles forward to plug in the speakers, irritated with herself a split second after she feels self-conscious about how the side of her shirt might be bulging slightly.

She's fucking beautiful. 

Throwing herself back against the bed frame she happily belts out the theme tune which has Sami curled on his side cackling at her. This only encourages her to add dramatics and arm movements to the whole thing. 

"Bravo!"

"I'm a born performer." She grins happily.

Settling peacefully they both watch and laugh their way through a few episodes, Nia remarking they seem so short without adverts and Sami stating often that is why he waits on shows to get to Netflix and such to avoid that. Nia feels the hum of confidence that comes with a few glasses of wine and it is getting late. She bites her lip. Stares at Sami. Adverts her gaze. Looks back again. 

"I uh have had fun tonight. Do you think you'd...wanna do it again?"

Perhaps her nervous tone is what clues Sami in but Nia doesn't care _what_ does it only that it _happens_. His eyes widen and he nearly drops his drink putting it back on the side table. 

"Sure would. Though maybe next time we could grab something to eat first? I mean. If you're up for it?" He's twisting his hands in his lap and Nia is positive that he doesn't even know that he is doing it. Something near her midsection flutters and she nods with a smile. 

"I'd really like that."

*

Sami requests dinner after a house show when they are both on early. Nia happily agrees and talks the crew to fixing up her make up after her match so she doesn't have to go through the issues of getting it all off and then putting her own on. She knows the sushi place Sami suggested from previous visits so feels comfortable in her jeans, knee length boots and smart top. Her purse is shaped like a fox's face and is hardly the fanciest but when she left her house last time she didn't expect any of this. Plus, she thinks it will amuse Sami.

When he meets her in the entrance of their hotel he laughs and points to the purse, even asking for a closer look and all the tension in Nia's shoulders fade away. 

"Right, let's get this lovely lady wined and dined and then to her anime jam." Sami laughs while offering Nia his arm. Laughter bursts out of her as she takes the offer, it all seeming so lovely and quaint and _Sami_. 

Sami holds the door for her but doesn't pull out her chair and Nia appreciates that. She's the sort of woman who wants to do that for herself, set herself on an even footing. Things are changing at work and the draft hangs over many of them but other than a few remarks they put that aside. They talk about films, music, wrestling moves and Sami's cat. Time passes quickly but this time Nia gets to the bill before Sami when he heads to the bathroom. 

She's smug all the way back to the hotel to Sami's amusement. 

This time she is invited to Sami's room where she finds a bottle of white wine wedged into his mini bar with cans of coke. The hotel's offerings are on the side ready to be placed back inside in the morning. Sami swaps his shirt for a t-shirt and argues with his laptop and cables until the images are on the TV. 

"You need to tell and show me how to do that." Nia states flatly. 

"It is not new or hard."

"Shut up. Just show me." And Sami laughs and it sounds _nice_.

"I'll text you what you need to order for it. You comfy enough?"

"I'll take my boots off and then I'm all good."

"Cool."

Nia is aware that she's sitting closer to the middle of the bed than last time. She's also aware that Sami is doing the same. She lets the first episode play out and then decides she should make her move. Sami has done as much as he is going to. He's _such_ a gentlemen but Nia doesn't have time for all that. Steeling herself and placing her glass on the side she turns to the redhead beside her, who is focussed on Misty ranting with her sisters. 

"Sami?"

"Yeah?" He doesn't turn to look at her and Nia narrows her gaze. No time. 

"You gonna kiss me then?"

Sami very nearly throws his can of coke all over the bed before setting it to the side and turning to her with wide eyes. " I, uh, well, we were you know, getting there?"

"I'm not a patient person." Nia states flatly while hoping he will take the hint which he does. 

"Right then." _Right then_ Nia vaguely remembers before being pinned to the bed with Sami all over her. His kisses are soft enough but his beard brushes against her chin and makes her shiver. His skin runs warmer than hers and it feels like he is _everywhere_. She's suddenly glad she made the move in his room so there was no issue with the laptop or speakers or generally breaking shit that doesn't belong to her. "Do you want me to st-"

"I swear I'll never talk to you if you do."

"Right."

He moves to kiss and mouth at her neck and begins to pull at her top, throwing it to the floor but near the bed so she can collect it later. It seems so Sami that it stops her for a moment. Hard fingers dragging down her ribcage distract her from her thoughts and she whines in her throat. Reaching she paws at Sami's shirt until he pauses and removes it. 

"Come on. I told you I'm not patient."

"I'm not gonna make you be." Sami mutters as his fingers get to her hips and hook around her belt loops and giving her a hard tug up. It makes the hard line of the denim rub against her panties and she bites back noises as Sami offers her a confident smile. Before she can complain he has undone her button and zip and pulled her jeans down. Her socks go for good measure and it seems like all her nerve endings are on fire. "Beautiful. Fucking. God, you're amazing." And then his mouth is over hers again but she can feel his bare chest against hers. The brush of his chest hair makes her buck up against him. Her hands reach to his side and grab his hipbones as she moans. In response he nudges her face aside with his and nips at her shoulder which makes her whimper and harder and more determined to _have_ him. 

Her nipples harden in their confines and she pushes him up and away before reaching behind to rid herself of her bra. With dark eyes Sami rides himself of the rest of his clothes and then she's not really sure who grabs who. 

Sami's hand stills over the front of her panties. She whines as he presses against the fabric, his fingers dipping into a mix of wetness and material. "You want this? On something? "

She gazes from her wet panties and his ready fingers to his thick and bulging cock and bucks her hips with a nod and bite of her lip. He hisses and snatches at her panties before ripping them away from her. For a moment he just stares but then his jaw sets and his eyes harden and Nia feels a flush of excitement. 

Sami shifts around the bed before hooking his arms around her knees and pulling them up, setting her butt against the sheet, spreading her open. His pinkies curl around the fat of her thighs in a sign of affection and then he's against her, muttering, in her, groaning and she gives herself to it all. She can feel her breasts rolling with the motion, the swirl of her thighs seem to magnify Sami's thrusts and he keeps talking. Loving. Making her feel like she's _important_.

"Sami.Sami! _Sami I_ Oh. There. I. Please"

"I got you. You're so beautiful like this. Cmon. More. You can give me more. Nia."

And she _can <./i> and she _does_ and she has no idea if this will go anywhere but it works for now. _

__Oh_ it works for now._


End file.
